In Spite of It All
by lostmapmaker
Summary: When Leah imprints on Edward, what will Bella do? Will Bella and Edward's love stay strong despite Jacob and Leah's plan to break them apart and how will the Volturi affect all this? PRE BREAKING DAWN
1. Facing the Truth

In Spite of It All

Chapter 1: Facing the Truth

* * *

Leah Clearwater stared at her reflection in the mirror and continually told herself to _calm down_.

She couldn't lose control of her anger again, she couldn't phase in the bathroom where the only thing to take her anger off on was herself.

Her anger, her frustration, though, was just as tame as her werewolf self, which is to say the least, not tame at all.

She emerged two hours later with cuts on her back and blood on her fingernails; having lost what she felt was a pathetic battle. Her anger had subsided and was replaced by an incomprehensible sense of grief and fear. Jacob Black knew now. Upon her transformation, Jacob Black had heard her silent screams of anguish; Jacob Black knew her secret.

She now knew that she would have to tell Bella, there was no avoiding it. She would simply sit Bella down and tell her. She would plead with her, beg her if she had to. Because those feelings of anger, despair, and fear that Leah had tried to silence all stemmed from her deepest feeling of desire. A desire so strong that Leah couldn't fathom it; she didn't understand how to control it. And however uncertain Leah was about how to approach the situation, she was sure of one thing; that this feeling of desire and obsession was because she was a werewolf, it was because she had imprinted.

As the thought rushed through her head, she begged her anger to remain still, she didn't want to phase again, she didn't want to hear what Jacob would be thinking. She didn't want to hear his pity.

At that moment Leah Clearwater would have given anything to be somebody, anybody else. Somebody who could be furious without being fearful of killing someone. Somebody who didn't have her love stolen from her by a serious injustice. Somebody who wasn't forced to "love." Somebody, who wasn't a werewolf and somebody who hadn't imprinted on Edward Cullen.

* * *

By the time Bella Swan had made her way to La Push, Leah had already changed her mind on what to tell her. She didn't know what she would do, or what she would say, or even if she could say anything to her.

She would try to explain how this wasn't her fault, how imprinting was undying and that it wasn't love she possessed for Edward, it was obsession and passion. Imprinting to Leah was merely its name; it was just an indentation, a hollow mark that would stay forever on her heart. No, her feelings towards Edward had barely scraped the surface of love, however she felt that she would do anything for him. It was a complex emotion and Leah despised it.

However, a deep intuition tugged and clawed at Leah's heart, she knew Bella would not leave Edward. More importantly, she knew Edward wouldn't leave Bella. Leah tried desperately to not imagine where that would leave her. Perhaps she thought dreadfully, that she would simply remain a werewolf forever. Forever, with Jacob, for she knew her anger would never subside if she saw Bella and Edward embrace in matrimony. She scoffed at the thought.

Then a new thought, an idea arose next to Leah's clawing intuition—_Jacob Black_. If there was one person who hated the union of Bella and Edward, more than herself, it was Jacob and she knew that Jacob was just as desperate for Bella's attention as Leah was for Edward's. She knew that he would do anything for Bella.

But before Leah could formulate a plan for the separation of the two, she was interrupted by a knock at the door that was surly Bella. While Leah hesitantly opened the door, she scrambled inside her thoughts for how to execute this idea, she wondered if Jacob would follow along, and she wondered what she would tell Bella just now, the more pressing matter at the moment.

But it was Bella, who Leah had thought she would never stop hating, it was Bella who answered her thoughts.

"What's the matter Leah, has something happened?" Bella asked innocently when she saw the dry tears on Leah's face.

Leah thought hard on how to answer the question and tentatively replied, "It's, well, I--I've imprinted." Bella didn't know how to respond, clearly this was bad news otherwise Leah's face wouldn't have looked so defeated. "But, but isn't that good?" Bella answered stupidly.

And then a look of comprehension spread over Bella's face, into a frown and she instantly replied, "It's alright if you've imprinted on Jacob, it's okay I understand, I'll be alright, besides I'm with Edward now, it doesn't matter now." And Bella desperately tried to convince herself that Jacob didn't matter to her anymore, that she could still look at Jacob without, without feeling as though she had made the wrong decision.

Leah stuttered, she was trying to correct Bella to find the words to explain to her, but then Leah's face turned into a grin that she couldn't suppress. Bella had just unintentionally given Leah the plan in which she could steal Edward.

Leah replied, "Bella, your understanding means so much but Jacob, well, he still loves you." And all Bella could say to that was, "Oh."


	2. Doing What Is Right

In Spite of It All

Chapter 2: Doing What Is Right

* * *

"Jacob, you don't have to do this for me. Do it for yourself, do it for Bella."

_for Bella…_

She was all Jacob could think about and he had convinced himself that this was the right thing. He wasn't stealing her from Edward, he was merely taking what was rightfully his, what was supposed to be with him; if there was no such things as vampires or werewolves she would've been his already.

So as Jacob made his way back from his flight, he didn't do it regretfully, angrily, or bitterly, he walked with purpose and he walked as a human.

When he reached La Push, he kept on walking right towards the border of Forks. He was supposed to meet Leah at her house to form a plan, but he didn't care what Leah had to say, he didn't want to see her right now. He only wanted to see Bella, to see if she was happy, if she was happy with Edward.

Jacob knew that even if he came across Edward, which Leah warned him not to do, he knew that Edward would not hear anything he didn't already know in Jacob's mind. Because all that was in Jacob's mind was _Bella_.

But Jacob was scared, he knew that Bella was planning to join the blood suckers. He knew that he might be too late, that she may have already married him. He was scared that he would see her pale face, even whiter than before. He was scared that her eyes would turn a dark black, that were no longer full of warmth but full of hatred and cold blooded emotion. Jacob Black was scared that he might have already lost her.

And then a fury rose up in Jacob as he imagined her pale face, even whiter than her dress staring adoringly into Edward's cold, dark eyes and then, Jacob phased.

* * *

Bella woke with a start, she thought she had heard a howl, she knew she had. She had heard a desperate howl that she had come to connect with her best friend, Jake. She fiercely clutched the charm on her bracelet of a wolf and scrambled out of bed.

She needed to get to that howl, so she could tell Jacob that she was sorry. So she could tell him to come back and be with Leah so they could all be happier, so they could be friends again. She wanted to convince him that it wasn't impossible for them to be happy apart, to prove to him.

As soon as she stepped down from her bed, however, she was ambushed by the concern of Alice Cullen. Alice had spent the whole night questioning Bella on wedding decorations and Bella had fallen asleep to the sound of Alice whispering suggestions for what dress to wear.

"Where are you going?" Alice inquired with worry after a glance at the panicked look on Bella's face.

"To the bathroom," Bella lied knowing fully that her lie would only carry her until she came face to face with Edward. She knew Edward had heard it too, and her thoughts were confirmed as Edward came rushing up to her room with an anxious look on his face.

"Don't go" was all he said and Bella cringed at the sincerity in his voice. Edward was scared that Bella might leave him, that the sadness inside Bella ever since the departure of Jacob would be replaced by the desire to leave him, to leave Edward. But Bella wasn't going to leave him, she wanted to join him. She wanted to become a vampire, if Edward could stand it.

"I'll be right back." she faintly replied right before she heard the whispering plea from Edward, "I'm coming with you."

And so the human and the vampire stalked out into the night in search of the werewolf who Bella believed had broken her heart and who Edward believed had complicated things.

Bella glanced up at Edward and she suddenly felt sick staring at his gorgeous face, the face that had been showing signs of despair. She felt sick knowing that she was the one causing distress to that face; that those wrinkles in between his eyebrows were because of her. So when Bella squeezed his hand that night it wasn't only because she wanted to comfort him it was also because she wanted to comfort herself.

But Edward stopped in his tracks and spoke softly into Bella's ear, "I'll wait right here." Bella rushed forward desperately searching for the chocolate eyes of her friend and fought to suppress a cry as she gazed into the fuzzy face of her werewolf, her Jacob.


	3. A Plan

In Spite of It All

Chapter 3: A Plan

* * *

Leah stared nervously at the clock and watched apprehensively as the seconds ticked by. She knew she shouldn't be nervous but she was scared that Jacob might flake out, that he wouldn't come and that he would decide to stay a werewolf forever…he was supposed to be at her house over an hour ago. But she told herself that he was just late. He would come and they would work on a plan to break them apart.

_Them, _being Edward and Bella.

And as soon as Leah had given up hope on Jacob ever coming, he opened her door and sulked into her house. Leah looked inquisitorially at Jacob and waited for him to speak.

"She's fine, she's with Edward and she's just great…she's perfect!" Jacob nearly screamed as he slammed himself onto Leah's couch.

Leah was surprised that he was in his human form, right now anger was emanating from his very being, but he unlike herself had learned to control his transformations. So when Leah replied she tried to keep her voice calm and collected because she could feel that her anger was building up as well, "You went to see her!? Didn't I tell you not to? And you saw Edward too...you could've ruined everything he could've found out, don't you understand he can read your mind?"

"Really, I wasn't aware…," Jacob replied in a sarcastic tone. "Listen, Leah just calm done. The sooner you do we can come up with a plan and I can be with Bella." "And I can be with Edward," Leah interjected with energy and excitement in her voice.

This was the first time Leah had ever felt like she was doing something ever since she had become a werewolf. It was the first time that she felt in control in her life and as she glanced at Jacob, she was sure she saw the same gleam in his eyes. A gleam that radiated with purpose and what she hoped was fulfillment.

"Right…well umm where do we start?" Leah asked feeling slightly stupid and she looked up at Jacob hoping he had thought of something, because at that point her sense of determination vanished as she realized she hadn't even thought of where to begin.

"Well I was thinking, you've already told Bella that you've imprinted on me but that I loved her, right?"

"Yes...but—"

"Then we have to play on Bella's guilt," Jacob replied with a frown on his face.

"I think it might be the only way."

"Maybe we can just tell her that as long as I love someone else you," he said turning and pointing at Leah, "you will be dying inside, dying inside from the love that I am denying you."

"So then what? She can't, Bella won't come to you if you say that, because then that will just hypothetically kill me more. She'll try and ignore you even more in the hopes that you will forget about her." Leah replied shaking her head as she said it, "That won't work at all."

"Oh, yeah. Well then we can tell her more, we can tell her that you will be dying inside if the person you've imprinted on loves someone else—"

"You've just said that!" Leah stated impatiently.

"—loves someone else, someone who loves them back but chooses to ignore it, and that someone is Bella" Jacob continued with a mischievous smirk on his face. "And once, I've chosen to love someone else who loves me back, your imprinting will break and you will no longer be in love me, you'll be free to love Edward." Jacob thought hard for a flaw to his plan but when he could think of none he simply said, "I think, well I think that might work," he finished somewhat lamely.

And then Jacob stared at Leah waiting for her approval, waiting for her face to break out in a smile as wide as his.

"Yes! That's it, then she'll leave Edward and then I can have him."

But as Jacob stared intently into the greedy eyes of Leah Clearwater, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Although he was up for a challenge, he didn't want to hurt Bella. He didn't want to have her if she didn't love him.


	4. Running Away

**AN: Just in case you guys want to know, here is a list of the powers that the Volturi have for reference throughout the rest of my story: "Jane can give anyone the illusion of pain while they are under her gaze; Aro can see all of the thoughts that a person has ever had, while making physical contact with that person; Marcus can sense relationships; Demetri can track anyone once he has the tenor of their mind."—Wikipedia, of course**

In Spite of It All

Chapter 4: Running Away

* * *

Edward looked at Bella with terror in his eyes. He didn't want to tell her, he felt that she was already sad enough since her visit with Jacob, he knew that she would be brave but he didn't want to drive her any further away. He was scared at what she would do. But he knew that if he didn't tell her, they would still come and... He shuttered as his mind wandered to what he feared would happen if the Volturi approached Bella.

He paced the floor of the couch that Bella was sleeping on and considered their options. They could run away, but there was a great chance that Demetri would catch up with their scent. And if they stayed where they were, in the Cullens' house, the whole entire Volturi coven would catch up with them even sooner.

"Bella? I'm sorry for waking you up, but we have to go…now." His words were spoken kindly into her ear but there was an urgency in his tone that made Bella jump up in her seat.

"What is it?"

"They're here," he said simply.

She didn't need to ask who, "Let's go."

Edward sprinted silently down the stairs with Bella on his back but abruptly stopped when he saw his "father" Carlisle Cullen.

"You're going to need more protection then just running away you know?" It was as if Carlisle had read Edward's mind. Edward smiled in relief as Emmet and Jasper entered the room as well.

"We'll come with you, the Volturi aren't known for being sympathetic, they'll be sure to, well, you know Jane might try and torture your whereabouts out of us." Emmet replied sheepishly and only Edward knew that the real reason Emmet wanted to come was only because he was excited about the chance of an adventure.

Bella glanced at them nervously, "You guys don't have to come, maybe it's better if we split up, I don't want you guys to get in trouble on my account." She hated the fact that she was always putting Edward's family in this position, a position where they were always on the run and always in danger. She loved the Cullen family so much but it pained her to see the position that she placed them in.

But at that point Alice entered the room and rolled her eyes at Bella as she said, "Don't be ridiculous."

She was followed by Esme and then Rosalie who didn't seem to share her families' vigor in the protection of Bella. However, when Rosalie told Bella that it was important to her that she remained a human and she would do whatever she could to make sure that it happened, Bella felt like she could scream. Five seconds ago, she was all for leaving immediately and running away from the Volturi but now a new thought occurred to her. What were they doing to her, why did they all have to be so noble? Why didn't they understand that Bella didn't want to be a human she wanted to join the family who she had grown to love and trust she wanted to be truly united with them, as a vampire.

"Wait!" Bella said abruptly…she had to choose her words cautiously she knew one false utterance wouldn't go well with Edward.

"It's just…I think we know a better solution than running away," she stole a glance at Edward hoping to find some reassurance but all she saw was firm resolute.

"If one of you umm, Edward well if you could, I think this might be an appropriate time to—" she broke off mid sentence when she saw Edward shaking his head.

"I think you should stick to our previous agreement," he said firmly staring at her hand that didn't have their ring on it.

Bella could feel her anger building up, when was a better time than now? "Listen, if the Volturi find us, which they will, they will be sure to bite me in the hopes of turning me into a vampire with powers that rival their own. Edward, are you sure you're willing to let them do that, to let them risk killing me?" She felt guilty for going that far, she knew Edward would wince at her words, but he needed to know how bad she wanted to be with him.

"Of course not, you know I would never, but just give it some time, just a little more time."

_Time_, it had grown to become one of Bella's least favorite words. She was growing older and older by the second while Edward remained as perfect as a statue.

"What use is more time, if I already made my decision, I _want _to be a vampire." The words she had been dying to tell him and the rest of his family had finally been spit out.

Edward looked up sadly at Bella's face and said, "What if you've made the wrong decision?"

As Bella was about to respond, there was a knock on the door.


	5. Guilt and Love

In Spite of It All

Chapter 5: Guilt and Love

* * *

The knock echoed throughout the vaulted ceilings of the house, and with each knock a pulse ran through Bella; she wasn't sure if it was fear or adrenaline. When she looked at Edward, she was surprised to find that his face wasn't tense with anger.

"It's not the Volturi." He spoke with an affirmation that reassured Bella.

She looked up at him questioningly and he answered her thoughts, "It's Leah."

Bella didn't want to hear what Leah had to say, when she had seen Jacob he had made it very clear that he didn't want to be with Leah. She didn't want to see Leah and face the guilt that she had been trying to ignore and shun out of her thoughts. She didn't want to have to worry about Leah's happiness in addition to her own.

Leah knocked on the door once more and Bella opened the door. Leah was standing in the doorway with her long black hair swept behind her back, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"I need to speak to you, quickly and alone." She said this with a fleeting glance at Edward and a pained expression on her face. It looked as if she was concentrating intensely hard on something but Bella didn't know what.

Before Bella could respond Edward swept her aside and when he spoke it was in a voice that was incredibly soft, "I'm not sure what she's playing at but she keeps on repeating the same sentence over and over again in her head, as if she knows that I can read her mind. I think she's trying to hide something." and then raising his voice slightly he said, "Anything you have to say to Bella you can say to us all."

"Fine." Leah spoke in a hasty voice that suggested her annoyance at Edward's sentiment.

"And hurry…" Edward finished.

Leah whispered the rest of her speech and directed it only to Bella, if Edward was anything but a vampire there was no way he could've heard it and Bella was under the impression that Leah didn't realize this.

"Bella, don't you see how hard this is for me. The rejection, it has reduced me to this pitiful, pitiful…nothing! I am not a human, as pitiful as I am, I am not a pitiful human, I am worse so much worse, I am a pitiful werewolf. And you…you are just sitting here causing all this pain inside of me. I will be free to love another if you just embrace your feelings with Jacob, free to live without this burden; although I may still be living as a werewolf it is better than dying as one."

It was clear that Leah had practiced this but there was a meaningful tone in her voice that shocked Bella. It brought about a guilt that was immeasurable and it was at this point that Bella realized she had no idea what to do.

The stillness that Leah's speech had brought about was interrupted by Edward's near desperate voice, "We've wasted too much time, you need to leave." He said it in a way that wasn't rude.

"I'll go now, and leave you to your…"

_Guilt_, Bella thought but all Leah said was "thoughts" and she left with a smirk on her face.

As she left she simply said, "Bye, Edward." She stared up at him with a gleam in her eyes as if she had just noticed his beauty. Edward wasn't looking at her but instead out into the dark night as if listening for something at a distance. Bella didn't understand. And then Edward's hand clamped down on her arm.

"_Jane." _He whispered it, but Bella was sure she was hearing him correctly.

Leah had also stopped staring at Edward, her eyes grew wide, and she ran into the forest, Bella could have sworn she saw the swish of a tail as Leah entered the trees.

Within a second Bella was on Edward's back as he ran out the back door, Alice and Esme followed them and Emmet, Jasper, and Rosalie went out the front. Bella shivered when she thought that they might have gone looking for Jane.

"Where are we going?" Bella questioned as she desperately clung onto Edward, she tried to sound brave, but she knew the crack in her voice gave it away.

"I—I don't know." The uncertainty in his voice was what scared Bella the most.

It seemed like a good ten minutes until they stopped. Although they had stopped running it did nothing to appease her fear. Bella turned around anxiously looking for the source of what had made the three Cullens stop. Standing feet away from her was Jacob.

"Jacob…" It was unintentional; Bella didn't mean to whisper it and after looking at the grief in Edward's voice she immediately wished she hadn't spoken at all.

"We can take her and the pack and I can protect her."

Bella didn't want to leave Edward so he can go off and fight for her she didn't want to be the damsel in distress that her clumsiness had forced her to be her whole life. But Jacob's presence had almost calmed her into a false sense of security, _almost. _

She heard a distant howl in the background that returned her to her senses.

"Sam says he'll come and help you blood suc—vampires and the rest of the pack and I will protect Bella."

Edward's face had anger stretched all over it but his words surprised Bella, "I'll help you guys, the pack I mean, I'll be with Bella the whole time."

"That's fine, we'll have Seth clear up the scent so they won't come following."

And so the run began again, Edward outrunning them all even with Bella on his back. They decided to hide in the midst of the forest. The trees, the werewolves, Jacob and Edward as Bella's protection. It reminded her all to well of the last time the werewolves and the Cullens had made a temporary acquaintance.

There was one slight difference, Bella had a different feeling this time, it wasn't bravery but it was as if she had given up. Bella had come to terms with the fact, she had decided that if the Volturi were to try and bite her, she would let them. Right now, Bella Swan had nothing to fear, except love.


End file.
